1. MATERIALS EVALUATION:
As teachers we have to face the hard decision of choosing a book for our
courses. Some teachers lack the knowledge to choose a course book that meets
not only their needs but also the students´ needs. Others perhaps choose a book
because of its popularity or because someone recommended it to them. However,
this choosing should not be done at random and for it to become effective it is
recommendable to carry out a careful analysis of the material. So as to do it,
teachers may take into account the checklist proposed by Hutchinson and Waters.
They designed an evaluation process for the evaluation of the materials to be used
throughout the ESP course. It consists of four steps: “defining criteria (i.e. on what
basis the material will be judged), subjective analysis (i.e. analysis of the course, in
terms of materials requirements), objective analysis (i.e. analysis of materials being
evaluated) and matching (i.e. how far does the material match the teacher’s need)”
(Hutchinson &Waters, 1987: 98).
Name of the book: New English File, Level: Pre- Intermediate
Publishing house: Oxford
Author: Oxeden, Christina Latham-koenig, Paul Seligson
Year of Publication: 2005

2. SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS
(course materials requirements)
OBJETIVE ANALYSIS
(analysis of the materials being evaluated)
AUDIENCE
1A Who are your learners?
Ages: 25 years old
Sex: men
Nationality: Argentinean
Study or work specialism: marketing. Status/role with
respect to specialism: trainee casher and seller.
Knowledge of English: pre intermediate
Educational backgrounds: primary and secondary
studies completed. Tertiary course in Marketing also
completed.
Interests: sports, music, tourism, etc.
1BWho is the material intended for?
It is intended for adult learners, no range of age is specified, they
should at least have a beginner level of English to start using the
book
AIMS

3. 2A What are the aims of your course?
The aims of the course are to provide the student
with tools to work everyday with tourists and to be
able to communicate effectively.
2B What are the aims of the materials?
To present grammar and vocabulary in an useful and clear
way, that can be easily connected with real life
experiences. Those experiences should also be fun and
motivating.
Another aim to get students to talk through motivational
activities.
CONTENT
3A What kind of language description do you require? It
should be a combination of structures, notions and
functions.
3BWhat type(s) of linguistics description is/are used in the
materials?
4A What language points should be covered?
The main related language points have to be related to the
situations in which the student will need to use the
language and the structures he will need to use.
4B What language points do the materials cover?
It covers, all present, past and future forms, modals, comparative
and superlative structures, the use of connectors and
prepositions, imperatives, verbs+ infinitive, verbs + ing, etc.

4. 5AWhat proportion of work on each macro-skill (i.e.
reading) is desired? The course should have an emphasis
on speaking and listening more. Should there be skills-
integrated work? It should also integrate reading and writing
as they may come in handy to the student.
5B What is the proportion of work on each skill? Is there skills-
integrated work?
From reception to production, from listening and reading to
speaking and writing, the skills that is given more importance is
speaking.
6A What micro-skills do you need? deducing the meanings
of unfamiliar words, answering questions using relia,
solving problems, etc
6B What micro-skills are covered in the material?
Talking about dates and times, describing a person you know
well, describing a painting, understanding an anecdote, giving
definitions, talking about your last holidays, talking about plans
and arrangements, interviewing a partner, talking about an
anecdote, talking about music, books and films, talking about
your childhood experiences, describing a building, taking a trip,
solving a situation in which you are lost somewhere, solving
problems at a restaurant, attending a conference at a hotel, etc.

5. 7A What text-types should be included?
e.g.
letters
dialogues
visual texts
listening texts
songs
newspaper articles
leaflets
7B What kinds of texts are there in the materials?
Newspaper articles
Narrative pieces
Biographies
Quizzes
Stories about experiences told by different people
Dialogues
songs
8A What subject –matter area(s) is/are required? Economy,
sales, business, tourism, etc.
What level of knowledge should be? General English pre
intermediate level
What types of topics are needed? Tourism and directions,
8B What is/are the subject-matter area(s), assumed level of
knowledge, and types of topics in the materials?
Each unit has a thematic are of study for example the first
one is about getting to know yourself and your partners,
their lives, their past experiences, etc. It concludes with a

6. places, means of transports, travelling, prices, etc.
What treatment should the topics be given:
human interest angle, humorous, controversy, etc.
section called practical English, which exemplifies a
current situation in an airport.
The assumed level of knowledge is general background
knowledge that students bring due to their experiences in
life.
Other types of topics are: holidays, hotels, airport stories,
at restaurant, lost in a city and giving directions, sports,
music, shopping, animals, at a pharmacy, phobias, trips,
activities you do at the weekends, etc.
What treatment are the topics given?
The treatments are dealt critically and in a humorous way,
always trying to adjust to reality. They always try to foster
communication and to create controversy among the
students so as to foster discussions.

7. 9A How should the content be organized throughout the
course?
Around language points
9B How is the content organized throughout the materials?
The content is organized first dealing with grammar and
then with vocabulary units, mixing them with pronunciation
activities, as well as speaking, reading and writing.
10AHow should the content be organized within the course
units?
To allow a clear focus on e.g. certain skill areas, a
communication task
10B How is the content organized within the units?
It is organized in a function notion fashion
11A How should the content be sequenced throughout the
course?
e.g.
From easier to more difficult
To provide recycling
11B How is the content sequenced throughout the books?
From easier to more difficult
To provide recycling

8. 12A How should the content be sequenced within a unit?
From comprehension to production
12B How is the content sequenced within a unit?
From comprehension to production
From accuracy to fluency
From restricted guided production to free production
METHODOLOGY
13A What theory/ies of learning should the course be based
on? It should be cognitive and affective with an emphasis
on communication as the ultimate goal.
13B What theory/ies of learning are the materials based on?
It has been designed basing on the common European
framework, using culture as an excuse to the teaching of English,
with an emphasis on communication.
14A What aspects of the learners’ attitudes to /expectations
about learning English should the course take into account?
The practical usage that the learner will be able to
implement in his everyday life. As well as, º his needs and
interest.
14B What attitudes to/expectations about learning English are the
materials based on?
It expects to attract and entertain the students along the course
with different topics and situations they can clearly identify with.
15A What kinds of exercises/tasks are needed? 15B What kinds of exercises / tasks are included in the

9. e.g.
comprehension to production
Whole class group individual
Mechanical problem-solving
Role-play, simulation, drama, games
Self-study
materials?
comprehension to production
Whole class group individual
Mechanical problem-solving
Role-play, simulation, drama, games
Self-study, etc
16A What teaching-learning techniques are to be used?
e.g.
Lockstep
Pair-work
Small-group work
16B What teaching-learning techniques can be used with the
materials?
Pair work
Group work
Small group work
Lockstep
Working individually

10. 17A What aids are available for use?
CD player
Realia
Wall charts
Video
17BWhat aids does the material require?
CD player
Video
Extra photocopies from the teacher’s book
18A What guidance/support for teaching the course will be
needed?
Lists of vocabulary and language-skills points
Language guidance
Suggestions for further work
Tests
18BWhat guidance do the materials provide?
Lists of vocabulary and language-skills points
Grammar sections with explanations and exercises
Suggestions for further work
Links to a self study page
Tests and teacher’s supplies of photocopies.
19AHow flexible do the materials need to be? 19B In what ways are the materials flexible?

11. The material should be flexible because the course takes
place once a week and if a student is absent on an
occasion, then he or she will be able to continue the
following class without lacking understanding. There
should also be a lot of recycling of the material as the adult
learners need to recycle the structures and vocabulary so
as to remember it better.
Can they began at different points? Yes, the units are
related but each section deals a grammatical and
vocabulary point
Can the units be used in different orders? Yes
Can they be linked to other materials? Yes, it depends on
the teacher but you can add extra activities such as songs,
or videos.
Can they be used without some of their components? Yes,
the workbook can be done optionally as well as the
grammar and vocabulary sections
OTHER CRITERIA
20A What price range is necessary?
The price of the book should be Between 100 and 200.
Other material will be added but in photocopy format
20B What is the price?
Student’s book 165$
Workbook: 99$
21A When and in what quantities should the materials be 21B When and how readily can the materials be obtained?

12. available? It should be available in the local bookshops The book is available at local bookshops nowadays

13. Conclusion:
Considering the comparison between both analyses, I have decided to
choose this book as the core element of the syllabus, because it meets many of
the needs the course presents. It includes many of the topics and structures that
the student wants to learn so as to become a better user of the language. It will
help the student to develop his reading, listening and speaking skills in a motivating
and useful way. It fosters communication through the use of lots of communicative
activities and this will facilitate the practice on that skill.
Moreover, the structure of the book is quite flexible. Therefore, it can be
used without having to follow an exact order and it allows the addition of extra
material whenever the teacher considers it convenient.